Feisty Friendly

Feisty Friendly
Season 2, Episode 4
Air Date	May 25, 2025
Written By	Keith Staskiewicz
Directed By	Ed Ornelas
U.S. Viewers	0.35 million
Episode Guide
← previous	"Why Did the Mainlanders Cross the River?"
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Cast Guide
Starring Lauren Cohan as Maggie Rhee Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan Smith Gaius Charles as Perlie Armstrong Željko Ivanek as The Croat Lisa Emery as The Dama Mahina Napoleon as Ginny Logan Kim as Hershel Rhee Dascha Polanco as Lucia Narvaez Keir Gilchrist as Benjamin Pierce
Also Starring Pooya Mohseni as Roksana Kim Coates as Bruegel

"Feisty Friendly" is the fourth episode of the second season of AMC's The Walking Dead: Dead City. It is the tenth episode of the series overall. It premiered on May 25, 2025. It was written by Keith Staskiewicz and directed by Ed Ornelas.

Plot

Maggie uncovers surprising information; Negan attempts to outmaneuver a slippery foe.

Synopsis

Holding a rat, Bruegel talks about seeing the power come back on for a whole block, including Radio City Music Hall. It was like traveling back in time for Bruegel, like waking up from a long nightmare. Brugel places the rat into a pail and kicks it across the room to a covered drape where a walker arm emerges, takes the rat and devours it. "How magical would it be to get the grid back on? To see Fun City all lit up again?" Brugel is pleased to see that the walker is hungry as they have a very big day ahead of them.

The Burazi drive up and the Croat complains to Negan that they had demolished an armada without the Silk Stockings' help and Bruegel should be coming to the Burazi instead of the other way around. Negan points out that Bruegel is at least willing to talk, but the Croat knows that Bruegel wants to discuss terms, describing the gang leader as "a slippery eel looking only to feed his own mouth." The Croat isn't sure why they should trust Bruegel, but the Dama tells him that while they shouldn't, the Burazi have only won a battle, not the war. The New Babylon Federation will be back and this time they will have learned from their mistakes. The Burazi will need an army to stop them which means that they will need Bruegel and his men, so they will have to play nice and stay one step ahead of Bruegel. The Croat believes that he can handle it because the Croat has a gift for determining weakness and exploiting it.

The Burazi release Benjamin Pierce from the trunk of the Croat's car while Negan wanders over to a tow truck with a walker in the front seat. The Dama notes that it takes a lot to faze Negan unlike the Croat who is too emotional and volatile. Things have to remain amicable today and Negan needs to make sure that the Croat doesn't mess things up. The Dama guesses that Negan's family must be crossing the Appalachian Mountains by now, a very treacherous pass and she promises to pay for them. The Burazi approach the Metropolitan Museum of Art which is now Bruegel's base.

At the Loeb Boathouse, Maggie informs Perlie of what had gone down between her, Negan and the Croat following Perlie's departure from Manhattan. Perlie is surprised that Maggie had traded Negan as he had thought that the two were working together, but Maggie explains that Negan had killed her husband and she had to get her son back. Sympathetic, Perlie admits that he would've made the same choice in her place. Hershel confirms that he saw Negan in Central Park the day before with one of the Burazi's spears. Perlie realizes that since Negan has been with the Burazi, he must know something about the location of their methane operation. Negan is their only lead so they need to find him and learn what Negan knows. Maggie questions how Perlie will explain this to Lucia Narvaez since he had "killed" Negan, but Perlie simply tells her that he'll figure it out. Hershel admits that he didn't tell Ginny as it didn't seem like a good idea and he found a gun in Ginny's bag, one that Hershel thinks she took from one of the New Babylonians and doesn't want anyone to know about as she's saving it for someone. The three agree to keep this development between them for now.

At the museum, Bruegel greets the Burazi and guesses that they had found what they were searching for in Central Park. The Croat admits that they didn't, but the park usually doesn't leave anything to be found anyways. The Croat compliments what Bruegel has done with the museum which is vastly improved from how Christos and his gang used the paintings as kindling and the sculptures as projectiles when they lived there. The Croat was surprised to learn that Christos had lost control of it to Bruegel in one of their walker gladiator matches. Negan notes all of the mirrors that Bruegel has set up which he states is to help reflect the natural light coming into the museum, although electricity or methane torches would obviously be better. Bruegel's interest is drawn by the methane that the Burazi have brought to the meeting, although the Croat warns him that it's highly flammable. Bruegel insults the small amount that they have brought and has his men take their coats.

Bruegel asks about Benjamin who the Dama identifies as a historian and a recent immigrant to the island who she has brought along to record all of the history that they'll be making today. Bruegel would love to read it when it's done, but the Dama tells him that it's mostly meant for posterity. Bruegel calls it an inspirational tale like the Battle of Thermopylae and apologizes for making the Dama come all of this way, but she tells him that it was the least that she could do after Bruegel sent her the Goya painting. The Dama accepts the offer of a tour of the museum, but neither Negan nor the Croat are happy to have to listen to him talk as they do so.

At the boathouse, Maggie tells Ginny that they'll only be gone for a day or so and she needs Ginny to stay and keep an eye on things, something that the girl apparently accepts. Perlie proposes that only he, Maggie and Hershel go as they're the ones who know the Burazi. The team will move along the perimeter, pick up what they can, and hopefully find the location of the methane. Roksana reveals that there is no longer a perimeter around the park because the Burazi had left that morning for the old art museum at the edge of the park. Now that the Burazi are gone, Roksana wants the New Babylon Army forces to leave the Foragers' home, but she agrees to give Perlie a day to scout the museum while the others pack up. Perlie tells Lucia that they'll head out when he gets back, something that she is visibly unhappy with but has no choice but to agree to. Lucia watches as Perlie prepares to leave with Maggie and Hershel, taking particular note of Ginny quickly moving her bag when he approaches.

Bruegel shows the Burazi the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River, telling them about the historical event and calling it his favorite piece in the whole museum. "I mean, a small federation of colonies taking on a powerful island? Or rather... a small island taking on a federation of powerful colonies?" Bruegel talks about the price of the painting and asks for Negan's opinion, but he's never really been into art and so Negan doesn't really care. The Croat points out that Bruegel himself has defied dramatic odds, having armor, weaponry, and accoutrements, all of which he won in a gamble at the plaza. The Croat calls Bruegel new money and notes that the gang leader's champion has won 26 fights in a row. The Dama gives Negan an alarmed look as the Croat implies potential cheating in the Bruegel's champion's victories. Negan dismisses it as simply being the biggest dude winning, complimenting the gang leader on his "big fuckin' Frankenstein of a dude." Bruegel tells everyone that they have front row seats to an exhibition match, and they break for lunch with the Croat being obviously unhappy.

In the park, Perlie calls for a break five blocks from the museum and Maggie tells her son that Perlie knows the area because he grew up here. Perlie fondly remembers how, as kids, he and his brother Joel would cut class and take the train down to hang out in the park all day. Because they had a very strict school, Perlie and Joel always had to sneak out with Perlie's brother pulling the fire alarm a lot. Having been born after the world ended, Hershel has no idea what a fire alarm is, and Perlie tries to explain it to him. The two adults share fond memories of the world before. Maggie remembers how the last time she saw a candy bar was three years in on her birthday when Glenn surprised her with it. Hershel doesn't see what was so great about the old world which looks like it was just everyone fighting each other, killing each other for resources and power. Perlie reassures the boy that that's not all that the old world was, but Hershel insists that it's true. "The more people try to bring it back, it just leads to more fighting and killing." Hershel leaves to get some blackberries that he saw.

Two armored walkers are covered in fresh blood and meat and placed in a ring to fight each other as the two gangs watch. Although the Dama enjoys the show, the Croat is more impatient and bored. The Croat notes how interestingly, even when there is nothing at stake, Bruegel still lets his champion fight. The gang leader mimics the Croat's Croatian accent, calling it interesting. Everyone is served cooked rats with carrots, and the Dama pushes hers away, quipping that she's saving herself for the second course, racconau poivre. "That's it! I -- I knew I'd seen you before!" exclaims Benjamin. "See, I'd been doing all this research on the old world, and in one of the New York papers I kept coming across these reviews of -- of plays and musicals. They were so witty and scathing. And next to each review there was a photo, and it was her. She used to be the critic. I mean, she could make or break careers. Dictated culture for decades. She basically ran the city. And then -- Oh god, there was that whole thing at the, um -- What was it called? The -- the King something Theater?" To Negan's interest and the Dama's obvious discomfort, Benjamin elaborates that there was a writer who wrote a play called The Little Empress, a thinly veiled mockery of the Dama. It was a hit, but at one of the shows there was an altercation with the writer and the Dama bit him, presumably ruining her career.

Quickly changing the subject, the Dama asks Benjamin about the drawing that he had been showing her of a fallen skybridge. Recognizing the work, the Dama guesses that it was a boy named Hershel that the New Babylonians had picked up on their way to the island. The Dama reveals that she knew that it was Hershel the second that he sent the smoke signal alerting the Burazi to the approach of the New Babylonians. Bruegel continues to mimic the Croat's accent as he talks. Initially frustrated and annoyed, the Croat suddenly grows interested as he notices something while watching the match.

On a rooftop across the street, Maggie and Perlie scout out the Burazi's activities. As the guards outside are only watching the cars and not the museum, Maggie deduces that the methane isn't located inside, and it has to be something else. The two settle in to wait for Negan and, seeing Maggie's worry for her son, Perlie tells her that having a kid is the scariest thing of all, especially when you're a single parent. All that Perlie thinks about night and day is keeping his daughters safe and making sure that they never have to go through what the adults did. Maggie admits that while she seems hard on the outside, she's actually scared all of the time deep down. Perlie reveals that after returning to New Babylon from Manhattan, he had wanted to take his family and leave. Perlie had only stayed because he couldn't think of anywhere better to go. Perlie finds it strange to think that he's fighting to bring back a world that his daughters never knew. "Is that what they even want? I guess we gotta wonder. How much of it is for them and how much is for us?"

In the boathouse kitchen, Ginny finds Lucia with her bag and the gun that Ginny had stolen from her. Lucia demands to know why Ginny is here as it obviously isn't for New Babylon and Ginny reveals that she's here to kill the man who killed her father. Disassembling, cleaning and reassembling the gun, Lucia tells Ginny "you know, I grew up outside of Jacksonville. Surrounded by family. And then, suddenly... I was all alone. For years. When I got to New Babylon, they looked at me like I was an animal. But there was one person who refused to give up on me. She'd soon be Governor Byrd. She gave me this very pistol. She said it came with a respect for order and justice. She taught me that no society can flourish without the law. That no crime... no murder... can go without retribution." Lucia gives the gun back to Ginny who hesitates for a moment before taking it. As the girl leaves, Lucia asks if the man who killed her father who is still alive on the island is Negan which Ginny confirms.

The fight concludes with Bruegel's champion slaying the other walker and continuing to attack it. The gang leader starts telling a story about how back in the old days, he was in a position of power and influence where a lot more people hated him than loved him. As a result, Bruegel got a bodyguard named Tony who remained loyal even after the world ended, teaching Bruegel the true meaning of service. Having decided to ally with the Burazi, Bruegel raises a toast to their newfound alliance and dares any mainlander to set foot on the island because they grow today not only in numbers, but in zeal. To that end, Bruegel proposes a small addendum to strengthen their alliance where they build a second methane facility in the museum. It would double their output and all that would be needed would be the sharing and pooling of scientific expertise.

Unable to take it anymore, the Croat outright refuses, stating that the gang leader is in no position to ask for anything, reminding Bruegel that the Burazi are the ones who beat New Babylon on the Hudson River and who are holding all of the cards. Standing up and pacing around the room, the Croat accuses Bruegel of cheating, believing that that's why his champion never loses and wins endless spoils for the Silk Stockings while the other gangs sink into poverty. The Croat has deduced that the too quick reflexes of Bruegel's Frankenstein champion are from him being injected with something such as methylphenidates or dextroamphetamines. The Croat is more than capable of running a test to determine whether or not it's true and he points out that the other gangs would be furious if they were to find out about this. However, the Croat thinks this doesn't need to happen as they are all friends here. Offended, Bruegel prepares to send the Burazi home, but Negan interjects, acknowledging that he would be angry in Bruegel's position too. Nevertheless, they both still want something, so Negan proposes doing things the gang leader's way: if Frankenstein wins, Bruegel gets his methane. But if the Burazi pick a guy and he wins, then the Silk Stockings join the alliance with no addendums. Intrigued, Bruegel accepts the deal.

Maggie approaches Hershel who is drawing and asks if he actually remembers the time that they were on the road and he found the lightning bug and if Hershel remembers it the same way that she does. Hershel reveals that he does remember, but to his recollection, he may have been older than the five or six that Maggie recalls. They were on the road and earlier that day, Maggie had sent her son to get firewood. When Hershel returned, he could hear his mother crying to herself. Maggie was always so sad at the time, and she didn't know that he was back yet, so Hershel pretended to take a little bit longer. Wanting to do something to cheer his mother up a bit that night, Hershel spotted the lightning bug in the distance and captured it. Maggie apologizes to her son, having had no idea.

Perlie calls Maggie to the edge of the roof where she watches Negan and three Burazi release the walker, Dan, from the tow truck and capture it while Negan takes a can of oil from the truck before returning to the museum. Maggie, Perlie and Hershel sneak in and Hershel offers to create a distraction. Maggie comes up with an idea of how to get Negan alone, although she doesn't like it.

Negan has the captured walker prepared as his champion, telling Bruegel that he likes an underdog. The Croat complains to the Dama that control of the methane is too important to wager on a game, let alone one with someone so duplicitous. Bruegel outlines the rules: no physical contact at any time, the fight lasts until there is a solid kill, and there's no restrictions on armor as long as the back of the head is exposed. Bruegel offers Negan a selection of weapons, but he declines. A panicked woman runs in and leads Bruegel to where his favorite painting has been set on fire. As the gang frantically works to put out the fire, the Dama warns Negan that there is liking the underdog and then there's just being stupid.

Suddenly, Negan hears the Saviors' distinctive whistle. Recognizing that someone is trying to get his attention, Negan leaves with an excuse of having to use the bathroom. As he leaves, the Dama notices a nearby door being quietly shut. Negan is stunned to discover that Maggie has returned, and she explains that she didn't return for him. Negan quips that it would be a little strange for Maggie to come back to bust out the guy that she threw in the slammer, but Maggie points out that Negan seems to be free and holding up just fine. Spotting Perlie on the upper level, Negan realizes that Maggie is working for New Babylon and is coming to him for help once again. Perlie begins to explain that they need to secure the whole methane operation, but Negan brushes him off, wanting to hear it from Maggie.

Maggie sends Perlie back to the rendezvous point and tells Negan that she doesn't want to be here and nor does she care about the methane. However, the sooner that Maggie helps New Babylon the sooner that she and Hershel can go back to living their lives in peace. Maggie tries to get Negan to give her the location of the methane. "And so, I'm, uh -- I'm putting up all the risk as always. I can't help you. I can barely even help myself. I give you anything, even something small, then the people I'm looking out for, I -- I can't. I can't." Maggie sympathetically realizes that Negan is protecting Annie and Joshua. Negan decides to tell Maggie that the location is St. Patrick's Cathedral, but warns her that the Dama got to Hershel somehow and he is helping her. Maggie denies it, but Negan reveals that Hershel is how the Burazi knew that the New Babylonians were coming. Hearing footsteps approaching, Negan orders Maggie to leave which she does.

Hershel makes his way back to where the group entered and finds the Dama waiting for him. "Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" greets the Dama.

As Negan and Bruegel prepare for the fight between Bruegel's Frankenstein and Dan to begin, Negan spots Maggie sneaking across the upper level, narrowly avoiding the Croat's gaze a few times. Rather than putting armor on Dan, Negan opts to pour oil over him, making the walker slippery. Dan being slippery keeps Frankenstein from being able to get him with the giant walker even slipping and falling at one point. Dan moves to bite Frankenstein, prompting Bruegel to stick his arm over the ring to draw the walker away, reminding Negan that the rules only specify no physical contact. As a result, Negan jumps into the ring himself to intervene, leading the two walkers around in circles as a distraction for Maggie's escape. Watching, Maggie makes eye contact for a moment with the Dama, recognizing her as the woman from Hershel's drawing. However, the Dama does not alert anyone to Maggie's presence.

Seeing that Maggie has escaped, Negan makes his own escape from the ring, but Frankenstein reaches through the gate and grabs him as Dan comes up from behind Frankenstein. Close up, Negan can see the eyes of a desperate human man behind Frankenstein's mask and realizes that it's actually a living person masquerading as a walker, the real way that Bruegel has been cheating. Instantly grasping the implications, Negan spins Frankenstein around and shoves him at Dan. The "walker" falls on Dan and impales Dan through the head with his chin spike before pretending to try to eat Dan. The Croat and the Dama are displeased with losing the match, but Negan pulls Bruegel close and whispers something to him under the guise of congratulating the gang leader on his victory. Bruegel announces that while he's won the match, what they've really won is each other's trust having "played by the rules-ish. We gave them quite the show." In the spirit of trust, Bruegel is willing to join the alliance, no strings attached. The crowd cheers while the Croat and the Dama are utterly gobsmacked by this turn of events.

Maggie returns to the roof where the group had been running recon to find only Perlie waiting for her. Moments later, Hershel joins them and Maggie pulls her son into a hug. Hershel lies that it just took him awhile to get out of the museum and Maggie informs the two of what she learned from Negan.

Benjamin is put back into the trunk of the Croat's car and the Burazi leader tells the historian somewhat ominiously that the Dama wants to find him a more permanent home. The Dama congratulates Negan on his surprising achievement, telling Negan that his family would be proud and they will be proud. The Dama invites a hesitant Negan to join her in sitting in the back of the Croat's car as the Burazi leave.

Watching the Burazi go, Bruegel visits his "walker fighter" and cleans the man's face up. "Power is a funny thing. It fuels you. It lights your way. It heats you up. It's what makes the world go round and round. The old world at least. Ah, we were so close today. I could almost taste it." Bruegel tells the man, his former bodyguard Tony, that he did wonderfully today and they had a good run. On Bruegel's prompting, Tony confirms that the gang leader has always taken good care of him. While there have been costs, Bruegel believes that he's served Tony too by giving him the most valuable thing of all in the world: a purpose. However, with Negan having discovered their secret, Tony is no longer of any use to him. Lamenting that they were so close, Bruegel deploys a blade from his watch and slits Tony's throat, killing him. "And yet, I picked up a really good tip today. Can't say the odds are great, but, hey, you know what they say, higher the risk, higher the yield. I'm not out of moves just yet." Bruegel looks out of the window at Central Park.

Other Cast

Co-Stars

• Nate Andrade as Tony
• Kristina Ellery as Panicked Silk Stocking

Uncredited

• Jeff Byrd as Larry
• Tessa Diaz as Yadi
• Jim Ng as Dan
• Briana Mitchell as New Babylon Officer
• Theo Kypri as New Babylon Soldier
• Maritza Diaz as New Babylon Soldier
• Chris Silcox as Forager
• Christopher James as Buraz
• John Cenatiempo as Buraz
• Ruby Masterson as Buraz
• Lindsey González as Buraz
• Derek Mellor as Buraz
• Ashley Cerrone as Buraz
• Czaar Jerz as Buraz
• Doni Holland as Buraz
• Harold Rudolph as Buraz
• Mike Diaz as Buraz
• Kevin F. Conway as Silk Stocking

Deaths

• Lucia's Family (Confirmed Fate)
• Dan (Alive, Confirmed Fate; Zombified)
• Tony
• Many rats (Confirmed Fate)

Trivia

• Only appearance of Dan. (Zombified)
• Last appearance of Tony.
• The title of the episode, "Feisty Friendly", refers to what Bruegel calls the exhibition match that he puts on for the Burazi.
• It's revealed that Bruegel and the Silk Stockings have developed a unique form of camouflage, but in reverse of the usual walker guts trick where they disguise walkers as humans by pouring fresh blood and meat on them. This causes the walkers to attack each other in gladiator fights, with the winner even trying to devour the loser.

Episode Highlights

To be added.

Goofs/Errors

• Maggie tells Perlie that Glenn surprised her with a candy bar three years into the apocalypse. However, according to the timeline, Glenn's death occurred almost two years into it.
  • This could either be a retcon of the timeline, a continuity error, or simply Maggie misremembering how much time had passed since it happened over a decade ago.